We stayed at the Le Flamboyant in Playa El Agua from 1st - 16th July with First Choice and it was fantastic. The Hotel is very nice, very clean (cleaned daily inside and out), friendly and well maintained.

The food was very good with breakfast being my favourite (pancakes, croissants, bacon, sausage etc.) but lunch and dinner were also very good. Ther was always a large selection and always something on the grill which was different every day. It varied from Chicken breast to pork chops to steak. There was also lots of salad and a soup made daily which was tasty too! the a la carte was ok. We went once but it is the same as the buffet.

Drinks were good although they are a bit on the strong side so beware! a typical Vodka orange would have 3/4 vodka with enough orange to colour it! The cocktails are good and the beer is always cold! I read reports about bar staff being unfriendly but this is really not the case. Many of them speak little english so if you can learn basic spanish you can help them alot. There was usually only 1 bar person on at a time in any of the bars but you never had to wait more than 2 mins for a drink and they dont mind if you order 12 or more at 1 time!

The animacion team were excellent and so friendly! We went with them out to bars and clubs and learned where to go etc. and they were always up for a laugh in the pool or on the beach. Dont believe any bad reports about them. The actual shos were good also although ther are certain dance routines which are done every night and you will be singing them for years to come in your head!

The pool is cleaned daily and is very warm. It is like a bath and doesnt offer to much releif from the sun! But the rooms do have very good air conditioning.

The rooms were very nice and i cant seewhy people say they are basic! There are plenty of power sockets, we had two queen sized beds although we only needed one, there was a reasonably big TV which had plenty of channels, although most in spanish, but you aer in a spanish speaking country! they also had a fridge freezer, large mirror and patio doors spanning the entire width of the room on to a large balcony over looking the pool. I would like to know what people who described the rooms as basic expected to find in there! I have travelled alot and cant really think what else i normally find! The rooms are very clean and the shower is large also. The maids are good and usually make swans from your towels. I read that things got stolen from rooms but i left money, ipod out etc and nothing went missing.
Playa El Agua its self isnt very big and sometimes looks a little run down. this is because most of the buildings along "the strip" are bars and are not open during the day so are empty. The buildings are sort of open plan so it looks like nothing is there during the day but they come alive at night! There are some shops and stalls etc but are much more expensive than in Porlamar.

The Beach is lovely with white sand and tall wavy palm trees with coconuts and other fruits. You can eat the coconuts that fall which are tasty. The sea has big waves which are fun to jump and body board but some people did get in trouble when we were there, usually going out to far. We tended to go out as far as just above waist height with no waves which usually meant that you could just about jump most of them with the occasional one wiping you out but i didnt feel scared or in trouble at all and i was in there every day!! the water was also very warm. There are alot of vendors and i mean alot! They actually spoiled the beach a bit for me but they go away with a swift no gracias. If you do buy anything make sure you haggle as they start very high! You should aim to get a necklace for 20- 25 bolivars, do not pay any more!

There are lots of bars and restaurants if you want out of the hotel for a change and the prices are cheap. Its usually 3 bolivars for a bottle of beer which is about 70p in a bar or night club but i think its cheaper from large super markets. The exchange rate is lower than a few months ago where i hear you could get 7 bolivar to a dollar where as now its around 3. So keep an eye on this and you could get an even better deal.

We tended to go to Labas or Woodys which were good and quite cheap. I found that where a night out at home will cost you between £30 -50 i was spending less than £10 and in Labas they were good at giving you free tequila!

We went to Sambil which is a large shopping centre much like you get at home where ther is a Hard Rock Cafe which is pleasantly cheap compared to the ones here! and McDonalds which was good. There is also a Subway and Burger King and KFC in there so lots of fast food if you want it!

Porlamar is a good night out and we went to Senor Frogs which was excellent fun and then to Speedy Burger next door after for some late night food! Taxis are very cheap and it costs 30 bolivar to porlamar which is around £6 - £7 but the bus is very cheap indeed and we were 2.5 bolivar to Playa el Agua from Porlamar which is pennies!!

The island as a whole is pretty but it is not developed yet and rubbish can spoil the look of the island. There were frequently rubbish at the side of the road etc which kind of spoled some pictures and the look the the place.

On the whole it was excellent and i would recommend this hotel in particular. It was the nicest in Playa El Agua and i personally think it deserves a 4 star rating. Please go and check it out!

Arrived with an open mind after reading the reviews on Trip Advisor.

CHECK-IN: This was very swift and we were in our room within 20 minutes of arriving.

ROOM: We were put on the 2nd floor at the rear of the block that overlooks the pool. The room was disgusting. The doors fell of the wardrobe, the boiler was hanging off the wall, the chairs on the balcony looked like they had just been retrieved from the local skip! I took several photos and took these to reception to show Orlando the guy on the desk. Orlando was excellent and had the head housekeeper up to our room within 5 minutes and we were allocated another room on the ground floor overlooking the pool. This room was a 100% better.....and was actually clean. TV is hopeless. One hour of English TV per day and this is normally when you are at the beach or by the pool. Oh, and watch out for the ants in the room. We were raided by ants on the last two days!!

RESTUARANT/FOOD: Food is ok but nothing exciting. The 5pm snacks are hopeless and there is never anything left by 5:15pm. The food choice is hopeless for children.

POOL: The pool was not cleaned for about three days and you could not see the bottom. My son developed an ear infection (along with several others) and had to go to hospital for ear drops and anti-biotics. There was a plaster by the pool side which remained there for well over 4 days!

CLEANING: Rooms cleaned daily and towels changed daily.

ENTERTAINMENT: Nothing to write home about but the staff do try hard and are very friendly. Inte, the head entertainer, escorted my son to the hospital with us and trnslated the problem to the consultant. He was very kind. Samuel was very friendly to my son and kept him entertained.

BAR: The bar is good except for the miserable bar man who works the evening shift. If he does not like tourists then he should seek alternative employment.

TRIPS: We did the Jeep Safari and the Swim with Dolphins which were both value for money.

RESORT: The resort itself is a complete tip! Its a shame the locals do not appreciate the surroundings they have.

BEACH: Nice beach but again rubbish is just strewn all over the place. Shame!

REP: Sandra is excellent and is the best rep we have ever had. Always visible and makes a point of walking the grounds whilst she is there to ensure that no one has any problems.

OVERALL: In general we had a nice holiday. We met a lot of lovely people and it was a very friendly atmosphere.

Bad point is the disco that occurs every Friday and Saturday night in a local club which booms out music until 4am.

In general, a good holiday and good value for money.

if ur planning a holiday in margarita stay at this hotel clea ,basic,food good no poisining like other hotels.basic entertainment just join in make your own fun ,moaning londoners this is only 3 star hotel £300 per week in carribean best bargain u will get anywhere.downside is margarita is like landfill being turned into tourist island trips jeep safari and catamaran to conche island excellent.1st choice rep sandra very helpful .also night life outside hotel expensive that is senor frogs
or hard rock cafe.thoroughly enjoyed holiday different to what we are used to definitely go again except june,july,august humidity too high be adventurous give it a go.john&leslie cleethorpes

Arrived at hotel and was pleasantly surprised, had read a lot of reviews not all of which were positive.
Rooms are basic, but clean and sufficient. Cleaned every day with fresh sheets and towels. Food was great - plenty of choice and did not find food cold at any time. There was also plenty of variety. A La Carte was the same as in the main buffet restaurant, not really worth a visit.
Pool cleaned every day as was hotel grounds. At the bar there was only ever one person on and you tended to wait - but heh you're on holiday - we never found it a problem. Staff are all exceptionally friendly and helpful. Entertainment was ok - typical holiday stuff but the entertainmnet team could be a lot more imaginitive - same dance routine 4/5 times in the 2wk stay. You can play bingo and darts every afternoon and we one numerous bottles of rum.
Beach is lovely, strong currents though, a lot of people still swam, surfed etc.
Having travelled extensively around Margarita this is definetely the best resort - plenty of bars, restaurants, supermarket, street stalls and market. At no time felt unsafe. There is a good bus service to Porlamar etc and used it several times with no problems. 5 bolivars to Porlamar. Also used taxis but beware many are deathtraps - make sure you get in one that looks roadworthy.
We did 3 trips all of which were well worth the money - Land cruiser, shopping trip and Coche Island. Fantastic time with all inclusive meals and drinks.
Across from the hotel is the best exchange "Happy Hills Tours" offer 3 bolivars to the $. The shop in the hotel sells more or less everything and she offers 2.8 bolivars to $.
One lady in the hotel became ill - diabetes played up. The entertainment staff were great and she ended up going to the local hospital and was treated v.well - probably better than here. Treatment is free. I bought medication from chemists and had no problems if your stuck ask either the rep or staff who are more than happy to advise.
We had quite a lot of South American guests from Brasil, Venezuala, Colombia, Chile etc which was great. They were all exceptionally friendly, good fun and it was lovely to watch them dance at night.
We had a fantastic time (especially my 16 year old daughter), would highly recommend and would defintely go back.